Bismarck weekly tribune., 1887-12-23
and trust that its labor will result in the
early admission Of Dakota as one state IN
GIIF7FoRD,s sTArEHoo s bills.

8
ern portion Of the territory, under the
name Of South Dakota. Both bills are
exactly alike and both will meet the same
fate when they reach the house commit
tee on territories. The bill provides for
the holding of an election in each dis
trict on the first Tuesday in June, 1888,
for the purpose OF electing delegates to.
attend a constitutional convention for
the purpose Of framing state constitu-
tion. The representation is fixed on the
basis Of one delegate for each 5000 pop
ulation in each county and in addition
thereto one delegate for the major part
of the fraction Of 5000 inhabitants; pro-
vided, however, that each organized
county shall be entitled to at least one
delegate. The various county officers
shall provide for the holding of said cleo
tion, and the election and canvass of the
returns shall be conducted the same as
in all general elections. Section four Of
the bill reads as follows: s5&
That said delegates shall meet at ----,
in Dakota, on the second Tuesday of Sep
tember, 1888, at 12 O'clock noon, and when
organized shall declare on behalf of the
people of that portion Of the territory of
Dakota within said boundaries hereinbe.
fore set forth; that they adopt the consti-
tuition Of the United States, and thereupon
said convention is hereby authorized to
form constitution and state government
for that portion of Dakota within said de-
scribed boundaries, and said state when
formed and organized shall be known and
called the state of North Dakota. Pro-
vided, nevertheless, that such constitution
shall be republican in form and make no
account of color or race except as to Indi-
ans not taxed and not repugnant to the
constitution of the United States and the
principles Of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. Provided, further, that such consti-
tuition shall provide that neither the money
town or other municipal corporation there
in shall be given or loaned to or in aid of
any association, corporation or private un-
dertaking, and that the aggregate debt of
the state shall not at any time exceed
$2O00O0. And provided, further, that
such constitution shall provide that the
legislature Of such state shall under no cir
cumstances exempt any portion of the
property within said state belonging to
any corporation organized for religious
and educational purposes from taxation,
and that no distinction whatever shall be
made in the assessment and collection of
taxes between an individual and a corpor-
alton. And, provided further, that said
convention shall provide by an ordinance,
irrevocable without the consent OF the
United States and the people of said state,
that perfect federation and the free exer-
else of religious sentiment shall be Sc
cured; that the inhabitants within said
proposed state do agree and declare that
they forever disclaim all right and title to
the unappropriated public lands and the
lands the Indian title to which has not
been extingnished by the United States
lying therein, and that the same shall be
and remain at the sole and entire DISPOSE
ton Of the United States; that no tax shall
be imposed by said state on land or prop
erty therein belonging to the United
States and any Indian tribes or Indians
sustaining tribal relations. or which may
hereafter be purchased by the United
States; and that all navigable waters
within said state shall be and remain pub
lie highways, free to all citizens of the
United States.
Having formed a constitution, section
five provides that by ordinance the same
shall be submitted to vote of the peo-
pie of the proposed state for their rati-
fcation or rejection, at an election to be
held at such time as said convention
shall prescribe. The election shall be
conducted as all general elections are
conducted, and the returns shall be made
to the governor, who, with the secretary,
chief Justice, and president of said con-
vention, or any two of them, shall can
vass the same; and if a majority of the
legal votes so cast in said proposed state
shall be for said constitution, the gov
ernor shall certify the same to the presi-
dent of the United States, together with
the copy of said constitution and ordi-
nances.
Section seven makes it the duty of the
president of the United States, on receipt
of such certifcation, to issue his procla-
nation declaring the state admitted into
the union; and thereupon the said state
shall be admitted to the union on an
equal footing with the original states
without any further action on the part of
congress.
" The bill provides further that until the
next general census said state shall be
entitled to one representative in con-
gress; that the governor and other Off
GERS to be provided by the constitution
shall be elected on day fixed by said
constitutional convention, the territorial
officers to hold over until their successors
have qualified; that the laws of the
United States shall have the same appli-
cation as in other states of the union.
Section II provides for the transfer of
all actions in cases pending IN the courts
of the territory; sections 16 and 36 and
all swamp lands or their equivalent, are
granted to the state for school purposes;
the grant of 100000 acres of land, and in
the provisions of section 2,37S of the re-
vised statutes shall also be used for
school purposes; seventy-two sections
are donated for agricultural college pur-
poses; seventy-two other sections for the
support of an institution for the deaf and